Michigan football will take on South Carolina in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day, but what can we expect from the Big Ten/SEC battle?
It’s been an eventful season for both Michigan and South Carolina. The Gamecocks looked like serious SEC contenders before losing to Georgia and then a non-conference battle against Clemson to end the season.
On the other hand, the Wolverines were a preseason favorite to win the Big Ten East along with Ohio State and Penn State, but they finished fourth behind in-state rival Michigan State as well. They were unable to beat any ranked teams and have just one win over a team with a winning record this season.
Things got chippy between the two teams at a bowling event earlier in the week, so that makes this matchup that much more intriguing.
What can we expect from Michigan’s matchup against South Carolina on New Year’s Day?
5. Karan Higdon rushes for 150 yards
Although he finished the 2017 regular season on a sour note, junior running back Karan Higdon is poised to start 2017 with a bang. The talented back from Sarasota, Fla., had a four-game stretch in the middle of the season in which he rushed for over 600 total yards.
During that stretch, he hit the 200-yard mark against both Minnesota and Indiana and had 158 yards against Rutgers. While those aren’t exactly quality opponents, the Hoosiers, at least, had a much stronger defense in 2017 than it normally had with Kevin Wilson at the helm.
Still, Higdon has yet to pick up 100 yards rushing on a top-50 run defense, but that will change on Monday afternoon. He’s going to have a strong showing against the Gamecocks, rushing for over 150 yards and two touchdowns.
When Michigan needed an offensive boost this season with Wilton Speight and John O’Korn under center, Higdon was there to help. While rushing for 150-plus yards, he will also break 1,000 yards on the season — a career-best.